1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling an air-conditioner of a motor vehicle of the type wherein proportions of air to be distributed to left and right portions of a vehicle passenger compartment are controlled automatically or manually. More particularly, the invention is directed to such a control apparatus capable of using an automatic control mode and a manual control mode dependent upon the quantity of solar radiation. The invention further concerns an automotive air-conditioning controller having a function to compensate the imbalance in. air distribution which could be caused dependent upon the direction of solar radiation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed various methods of automatically changing proportions of air discharged from left and right air outlets dependent upon quantities of solar radiation measures at left and right portions of a vehicle passenger compartment. According to one known such proposal disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 54-97947, the air-conditioning balance based on the control of the respective quantities of air discharged from the left and right air outlets is changed dependent upon the balance of the left and right solar radiation quantities for providing an improved air-conditioning feeling while a motor vehicle is cruising in the sunshine. Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-50884 discloses an automotive air-conditioner in which in addition to the foregoing automatic left and right air distribution control dependent upon the left and right solar radiation quantities, an air distribution setter is provided to manually distort the left and right air distribution control toward either side, thereby adjusting the automatic air-conditioning appropriately at the occupant's desire.
In the prior art arrangements, the automatic control of left and right air distribution is performed to vary the quantities of air at all times depending upon the quantity and direction of solar radiation irrespective of the occupant's feelings about the current air-conditioning state. For instance, it occurs likely that the quantity of air discharged toward the assistant driver's seat increases even in the absence of the assistant driver; the quantity of discharged air in a particular direction increases against the occupant's intent. The manual correction of the automatic air distribution control using the air distribution setter is not quite satisfactory in meeting the occupant desire.
Further more, when air distribution setter is set in a position to increase the air distribution quantity in one side, the automatic control of air distribution dependent upon the solar radiation quantities still has the same weight as such manual correction. Accordingly, if the opposite side is exposed to solar radiation due to the change of direction of the solar radiation, the discharged air quantity at the opposite side is increased under the force of the automatic control, while the quantity of air discharged toward the side selected by the air distribution setter decreases. A desired air distribution control is therefore difficult to obtain.